A voter casts her ballot inside the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections in Cleveland on Oct. 2. Early voting for the Nov. 6 election is under way, with Ohioans able to vote by mail or in person.

Written by

Deirdre Shesgreen
Gannett

WASHINGTON -- In England, the Guardian newspaper explained to readers why Westerville and other Ohio suburbs are "ground zero" in the 2012 election between Democratic President Barack Obama and GOP challenger Mitt Romney.

"Ohio's pivotal status has everything to do with demography," reporter Paul Harris wrote. "The state combines big cities with small towns, a declining stretch of Rust Belt with an area of Appalachian poverty and a Southern-influenced region along its Kentucky border. It can be seen as a mini-America."